Rail-joint.



G. COATES.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. I918.

Patented 001;. 1, 1918.

pa eras rarnnr union.

GEORGE OOATES, or vroroa, ooLonADo, Assrenon or ONE-THIRD TO ARTHUR GATHERIDGE AND ONE-THIRD 'l-Q MORGAN DAVID MORGAN, BOTH 015 women, COLORADO.

resents.

Specification of Letters Patent.

BAIL-JOINT.

Application filed April 4, 1918. Serial No. 226,705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Coarns, a cltizen of the United States, residing at Victor, in the county of Teeler and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and that I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints, and has for its object to provide a device of this character in which bolts ordinarily employed to connect the rails with the chair are eliminated and spring locking devices are substituted therefor which rigidly secure the rails in the chair.

Another object is the provision of means for releasing the spring locking elements to permit of the removal of the rails from the chair.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the improved rail joint applied to use.

Fig. 2 represents a vertical sectional view through the track rail, illustrating the chair in end elevation.

Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of one of the spring locking members detached.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 indicates generally the rail chair which includes the base member 6 carrying the integral upstanding flanges 7 for engaging the upper sides of the web of the track rails'S. The corners-of the chair are provided with apertures 9 for receiving spikes 10, whereby the chair is secured to the railway ties.

Each flange 7 is provided on its inner railengaging face with a longitudinal groove 8 and the bottom wall of the groove in one flange is recessed, as indicated at 11, to pro vide anchoring shoulders 12.

The web portions 13 of the abutting rails which are seated in the chair 5 are provided with apertures 14 receiving the web portions of substantially U-shaped spring locking members 15. The spring locking members are formed of flat resilient metal of such width as to be received within the grooves 8 formed in the opposed faces of the flanges 7, and the relatively long legs are designed to engage behind the shoulders 12 to prevent accidental withdrawal of the rail terminals from the chair. As clearly shown in Fig. 4:, the legs of the U-shaped members are normally disposed divergently with relation to the web portion, whereby the locking members are confined under tension between the flanges 7.

The recessed flange 7 is provided with screw-threaded apertures 16 adapted to receive a screw 17 whereby the locking legs of the spring locking members 15 may be disengaged from the shoulders 12 to facilitate removal of the rails from the chair.

What I claim is:

l. A rail joint including a rail-supporting chair including upstanding flanges provided with longitudinal grooves in the adjacent surfaces, one of the flanges having a recess formed in the bottom of the groove, abutting rails seated in said chair, and spring locking members carried by the rails and engaged in the recess to prevent withdrawal of the rail terminals from the chair.

2. A. rail joint including a chair provided with upstanding flanges, opposed shoulders formed on the inner face of one of said flanges, abutting rails seated in said chair, and spring locking members carried by said rail and engaging the shoulders to prevent accidental withdrawal thereof.

3. A rail oint including a chair provided with upstanding flanges, opposed shoulders formed on the inner surface of one of the flanges, abutting rails seated in said chair, spring locking members carried by the rail terminals engaged with the shoulders and preventing separation of the rails, and means for releasingthe locking members to permit of withdrawal of the rail terminals from the chair.

4. Av rail joint including a chair provided with upstanding flanges having grooves formed in the adjacent surfaces thereof, shoulders formed in the groove of one of the flanges, apertured abutting rails seated in said chair, and substantially U-shaped spring locking elements mounted in said apertures and engaging said shoulders to prevent Withdrawal of the rail terminals.

A rail j'oint comprising a chair ineluding a base member and upstanding flanges carried thereby, said flanges being each provided with a longitudinal groove, shoulders formed in the groove of one of the flanges, abutting rails seated in said chair, spring looking elements loosely con nected With the rails and engaging the shoulders: to preventwithdrawal on? the Raid terminals from the chair, said shoulder-carrying flange being provided With apertures exposing the locking terminals of the locking members, and means insertibl'e in the apertures to release the locking members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE Witnesses:

J. L. DENBO, MILLER EAKIN.

cvgiesnwi this; gamut may be. obtained for five; cents cash, by addressin the "Giom-mfssioner 0f Eaten-ts; waahinzmn, Bath?" 

